Crime and Disorder Bill — Reduction of Age of Consent for Homosexual Acts to 16 — 22 Jun 1998

Theresa May MP, Maidenhead voted against reducing the age of consent for homosexual acts from eighteen to sixteen, a step which would have brought equality to the the law affecting heterosexual and homosexual acts.

The majority of MPs voted to reduce the age of consent for homosexual acts from eighteen to sixteen bringing equality to the the law affecting heterosexual and homosexual acts.

The majority of MPs voted to insert a new clause into the Crime and Disorder Bill[1] which read:[2]

The last part was to equalize the age of consent between homosexual and heterosexual acts which at the time was set at 17 in Northern Ireland.

This clause did not survive into the Crime and Disorder Act 1998,[6] and finally appeared in Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 2000.

Historical Hansard | Online Hansard |

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Party Summary

Votes by party, red entries are votes against the majority for that party.

What is Tell? '+1 tell' means that in addition one member of that party was a teller for that division lobby.

What are Boths? An MP can vote both aye and no in the same division. The boths page explains this.

What is Turnout? This is measured against the total membership of the party at the time of the vote.

PartyMajority (Aye)Minority (No)BothTurnout
Con18 (+1 tell) 109 (+2 tell)080.2%
DUP0 1050.0%
Independent0 10100.0%
Lab283 (+1 tell) 14071.3%
LDem31 3073.9%
PC2 0050.0%
SNP2 0033.3%
UUP0 1010.0%
Total:336 129072.3%

Rebel Voters - sorted by party

MPs for which their vote in this division differed from the majority vote of their party. You can see all votes in this division, or every eligible MP who could have voted in this division

Sort by: Name | Constituency | Party | Vote

NameConstituencyPartyVote
Mr Richard BodyBoston and SkegnessConaye
Tim BoswellDaventryCon (front bench)aye
Peter BottomleyWorthing WestCon (front bench)aye
Graham BradyAltrincham and Sale WestCon (front bench)aye
Mr Peter BrookeCities of London and WestminsterCon (front bench)aye
David CurrySkipton and RiponConaye
Alan DuncanRutland and MeltonCon (front bench)aye
Michael FabricantLichfieldConaye
Mr Alastair GoodladEddisburyCon (front bench)aye
Mr Edward HeathOld Bexley and SidcupConaye
Robert JacksonWantageConaye
Bernard JenkinNorth EssexCon (front bench)aye
Robert KeySalisburyConaye
Eleanor LaingEpping ForestCon (front bench)tellaye
Sir Peter LloydFarehamConaye
Andrew MacKayBracknellConaye
Mr David PriorNorth NorfolkConaye
Mr Andrew RoweFaversham and Mid KentConaye
Shaun WoodwardWitneywhilst Conaye
Mr Donald AndersonSwansea EastLab (minister)no
Stuart BellMiddlesbroughLab (minister)no
Mr Gerry BerminghamSt Helens SouthLabno
Mr Jamie CannIpswichLabno
Mr Tam DalyellLinlithgowLabno
David DrewStroudLab (minister)no
Gwyneth DunwoodyCrewe and NantwichLabno
George MudieLeeds EastLab (minister)no
Mr Bill O'BrienNormantonLabno
Mr Raymond PowellOgmoreLabno
Mr Allan RogersRhonddaLabno
Mr Ted RowlandsMerthyr Tydfil and RhymneyLab (minister)no
Geraldine SmithMorecambe and LunesdaleLabno
Robert WareingLiverpool, West DerbyLabno
Colin BreedSouth East CornwallLDemno
Mr John BurnettTorridge and West DevonLDemno
Bob RussellColchesterLDem (front bench)no

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